Treadmill with a Firmly Located Belt

ABSTRACT

A treadmill includes a frame, at least two rollers, a belt and at least one guiding element. The rollers are supported on the frame. The belt is wound around the rollers. The guiding element is in contact with an upper face of an upper section of the belt to avoid suspension of the upper section of the belt above the frame.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a treadmill and, more particularly, to a treadmill including a firmly located belt.

2. Related Prior Art

A conventional treadmill includes a frame, front and rear rollers supported on the frame, and a belt wound around the front and rear rollers. In addition, a platform or a series of intermediate rollers is located between the front and rear rollers and beneath an upper section of the belt. The platform may be planar or concave. The series of intermediate rollers may be arranged in a rectilinear or concave manner. To reduce impacts on a user's feet, angles, knees and legs, the platform is concave, or the series of intermediate rollers is arranged in a concave manner. The upper section of the belt tends to suspend on the platform or the series of intermediate rollers because the upper section of the belt is shorter and lighter than the lower section of the belt. Hence, there is a gap between the upper section of the belt and the platform or the series of intermediate rollers. The user often neglects the gap and assumes that the belt is firmly supported on the platform or the series of intermediate rollers. The user could lose balance and, in the worst case, fall on the belt and get hurt. The risks are higher with the concave platform or the series of intermediate roller arranged in a concave manner than with the planar platform or the series of intermediate roller arranged in a rectilinear manner.

Furthermore, while exercising with the treadmill, the user inevitably moves the belt transversely in addition to longitudinally. This causes edges of the belt to rub against the frame. This would eventually wear the belt and might entail a jam of the belt and cause the user to lose balance and, in the worst scenario, fall on the belt and get hurt.

The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a reliable and smooth treadmill.

To achieve the foregoing objectives, the treadmill includes a frame, at least two rollers, a belt and at least one guiding element. The rollers are supported on the frame. The belt is wound around the rollers. The guiding element is in contact with an upper face of an upper section of the belt to avoid suspension of the upper section of the belt above the frame.

Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of four embodiments referring to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a treadmill according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the treadmill shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the treadmill shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial view of the treadmill shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a treadmill according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a treadmill according to the third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a side view of a treadmill according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, a treadmill 10 includes a frame 20, a front roller 30, a rear roller 40, a series of intermediate rollers 23, a belt 50, upper guiding elements 60, lower guiding elements 70, middle guiding elements 80 and lateral guiding elements 90 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The frame 20 includes two lateral bars longitudinally extending in a concave manner. A caster 22 is supported on a bracket 21 attached to a front end of each of the lateral bars of the frame 20. The casters 22 are used for rolling on the ground or a floor for transporting the treadmill 10.

Two feet 24 are connected to the frame 20. In detail, each of the feet 24 includes a horizontal section extending between two vertical sections. Each of the vertical sections of each of the feet 24 is connected to a related one of the lateral bars of the frame 20. The horizontal sections of the feet 24 are used for contact with the ground or floor for positioning the treadmill 10.

All of the front roller 30, the rear roller 40 and the series of intermediate rollers 23 are transversely supported on the lateral bars of the frame 20. The front roller 30 is located between the casters 22. The series of intermediate rollers 23 is located between the front roller 30 and the rear roller 40.

The belt 50 is in the form of a loop wound around the front roller 30, the rear roller 40, and the series of intermediate rollers 23. All of the rollers 30, 40 and 23 are located between upper and lower sections of the belt 50. The upper section of the belt 50 is shorter and lighter than the lower section. Without any guiding elements, the upper section of the belt 50 would dangle from the rollers 30 and 40 less than the lower section and hence suspend above the series of intermediate rollers 23.

The upper guiding elements 60 are arranged in two series. Each of the series of upper guiding elements 60 is located on a related one of two opposite margins of the upper section of the belt 50. Each of the series of upper guiding elements 60 includes an adequate number of guiding elements 60 to locate the entire upper section of the belt 50 against the series of intermediate rollers 23. Preferably, each of the upper guiding elements 60 is a bearing supported on an axle 61 attached to a bracket 62 located on and secured to a related one of the lateral bars of the frame 20. Each of the series of guiding elements 60 is preferably shielded by a cover (not shown) attached to a related one of the lateral bars of the frame 20.

The lower guiding elements 70 are arranged in two series. Each of the series of lower guiding elements 70 is located against a related one of two opposite margins of the lower section of the belt 50. Preferably, each of the lower guiding elements 70 is a bearing supported on an axle 71 attached to a bracket 72 located beneath and secured to a related one of the lateral bars of the frame 20. The lower section of the belt 50 is lifted by the lower guiding elements 70 to facilitate the dangling of the upper section.

The middle guiding elements 80 are transversely located beneath and secured to the lateral bars of the frame 20. The lower section of the belt 50 is located between the middle guiding elements 80 and the lower guiding elements 70. An upper face of the lower section of the belt 50 is in contact with the middle guiding elements 80 while a lower face of the lower section of the belt 50 is in contact with the lower guiding elements 70. Each of the middle guiding elements 80 is preferably a roller. The belt 50 is made properly tight by the middle guiding elements 80.

The lateral guiding elements 90 are arranged in two series. Each of the series of lateral guiding elements 90 is located against a related one of two opposite edges of the lower section of the belt 50. Each of the lateral guiding elements 90 is a pulley supported on an axle 91 located beneath and secured to a related one of the lateral bars of the frame 20. Each of the pulleys 90 includes an annular groove for receiving a related one of the edges of the lower section of the belt 50. Lateral movement of the belt 50 on the rollers 30, 40 and 23 is avoided by the lateral guiding elements 90.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a treadmill according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment except that lower guiding elements 70 are rollers instead of the bearings.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a treadmill according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is like the first embodiment except omitting the lower guiding elements 70.

Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a treadmill according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The fourth embodiment is like the first embodiment except omitting the upper guiding elements 60.

The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Hence, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims. 

1. A treadmill including: a frame; at least two rollers supported on the frame; a belt wound around the rollers and formed with upper and lower sections; and at least one guiding element in contact with one of the upper and lower sections of the belt to alleviate suspension of the upper section of the belt above the frame.
 2. The treadmill according to claim 1, including intermediate rollers transversely supported on the frame and located below the upper section of the belt.
 3. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein the guiding element is located against an upper face of the upper section of the belt.
 4. The treadmill according to claim 3, including at least two guiding elements each located against a related one of two opposite margins of the upper section of the belt.
 5. The treadmill according to claim 4, wherein the guiding elements are bearings each supported on an axle attached to a bracket located on and secured to the frame.
 6. The treadmill according to claim 1, wherein the guiding element is located against a lower face of the lower section of the belt.
 7. The treadmill according to claim 6, wherein the guiding element is a roller.
 8. The treadmill according to claim 6, including at least two guiding elements each located against a related one of two opposite margins of the lower section of the belt.
 9. The treadmill according to claim 8, wherein the guiding elements are bearings each supported on an axle attached to a bracket located beneath and secured to the frame.
 10. The treadmill according to claim 1, including: at least one upper guiding element located against an upper face of the upper section of the belt; and at least one lower guiding element located against a lower face of the lower section of the belt.
 11. The treadmill according to claim 10, including at least two upper guiding elements each located against a related one of two opposite margins of the upper section of the belt.
 12. The treadmill according to claim 11, wherein the upper guiding elements are bearings each supported on an axle attached to a bracket located on and secured to the frame.
 13. The treadmill according to claim 10, wherein the lower guiding element is a roller.
 14. The treadmill according to claim 10, including at least two lower guiding elements each located against a related one of two opposite margins of the lower section of the belt.
 15. The treadmill according to claim 14, wherein the lower guiding elements are bearings each supported on an axle attached to a bracket located beneath and secured to the frame.
 16. The treadmill according to claim 10, including at least one middle guiding element located against an upper face of the lower section of the belt.
 17. The treadmill according to claim 16, wherein the middle guiding element is a roller.
 18. The treadmill according to claim 1, including at least two lateral guiding elements each located a related one of two opposite edges of one of the upper and lower sections of the belt.
 19. The treadmill according to claim 18, wherein the lateral guiding elements are pulleys. 